Delayed Parenthood:⁣ The ⁢Hidden Risks of Genetic Diseases‌ in Children

More and more couples in the EU and the US are⁣ delaying the decision to have children, resulting in later parenthood. The average ⁢age of men in the United⁢ States who become parents is around 31 years old, while women become parents at an average age of 27.5​ years old.

A recent study published in The American Journal of ⁤Human Genetics ‌highlights the specific risks associated with delayed parenthood. The study reveals that “new mutations”‌ cause a number of genetic diseases that are mainly passed down ‌through the paternal route.

The risk of genetic diseases increases with age, as the cells that give birth to⁤ sperm, which contain these mutations, ⁤reproduce throughout life and grow progressively.

Myhre Syndrome: A Rare Genetic Disease

Researchers from Bambino Gesù and ​the University of Oxford focused on Myhre syndrome, a rare ​genetic disease caused by mutations in the SMAD4 gene. The study found that‍ the mutations that cause this disease always have a paternal origin.

Scientists from the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford discovered that these mutations give germinal stem cells an increased advantage, causing them to expand clonally, ​a situation comparable to what happens to cancerous stem cells. This risk is influenced by the age of the father.

Study Findings

The study was conducted by analyzing the samples of 18 patients diagnosed ⁢with Myhre’s syndrome and their parents, ⁢as well as some anonymous donors, between the ages of 24 and 75. The results were compared with the personal data of 35 families of American patients with Myhre syndrome.